Tabs

09 July 2014

If some time ago I spoke about the first piston filler made by Sailor, the original Sailor Realo, it might also be worth to speak about the last piston filler made by Platinum.

This pen was released by Platinum in 1989 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the company. Several models –or rather several costumes— were made in different materials —celluloid, ebonite, wood— and colors. The example here shown is a jade green celluloid. The filling system is, as I already mentioned, an integrated piston operated from the tail.

Platinum 70th Anniversary in jade green.

The nib is made of 14 K gold and resembles the unit currently implemented on the President model, albeit the latter is made of 18 K gold. The feed in this commemorative pen, as can be seen on the picture, is made of hard rubber.

On these Chronicles I have already described another piston filler nominally by Platinum. That was the Platinum Regent—a student pen with steel nib. But this was manufactured by Senator in Germany. Therefore, in actual terms, the 70th Anniversary Platinum remains as the last self-filling pen made by this company. It is also one of the very few examples of such in the Platinum catalog since 1956, when the company adopted the cartridge as its system of choice, save for those Platinum pens marketed overseas by other companies (see labels Hifra, Joker and Presidente).

The piston is operated from the tail. On the barrel it can be read the following inscription: "TRADE MARK / PLATINUM (S*N logo) SINCE 1919 / TOKYO JAPAN".

The booklet includes this blueprint. Despite how it might look, the piston is operated from the tail and there is no blind cap to access the handle.

Platinum has been remarkably loyal to the idea of cartridges, and that despite the current trend of recreating arcane filling systems. Let us remember how the other big two pen companies in Japan have marketed several piston fillers (Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Sailor Realo) and a plunger filler (Pilot Custom 823). But not so Platinum, or its sister company Nakaya. And this Platinum piston filler of 1990 becomes a rare, sought after and expensive relic.